Toy airplane train



April 3, 1934. J. w. SCHMERMUND TOY AIRPLANE TRAIN Filed Oct. 7. 1952 q A i {urea JOHN W. 5CHM'ERMUND w roams-v Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES TPATENT @FFECE Application October 7,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in toys,

and more particularly to a motor driven toy airplane adapted to run along the tracks of toy train equipment, and has among its objects the pro- Iduction of a device of the kind described, which will be neat and attractive in appearance, simple and sturdy in construction, durable, and eificient and satisfactory for use wherever deemed applicable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toy airplane train of the kind described, in which adjustment may be made quickly and simply, to accommodate various gauges of tracks, and to lock the same in place after such adjustment has been made.

A still further object of my invention is to so construct thetoy airplane train, that the drive from the operating motor within the same shall be transmitted to the carrying and actuating 291 wheels, as well as to the propeller thereof, to

thereby more closely simulate the action of a real airplane when taxiing along the ground.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this airplane invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and uses mentioned, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved toy construction, with certain of the parts broken away in order to show the invention more clearly; and

Figure 2 is substantially a vertical cross-section, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, 11 and 2 represent a ti track of the kind commonly employed with toy trains or the like, and in this particular instance comprises the three rails shown. Power for driving the rolling stock along the track is prefer- I H ably from a source of electric current, as through a transformer (not shown).

The toy airplane train is indicated generally by the reference character A, and may be of the form shown, as with the body or fuselage 4, of

r, elongated shape, having the laterally projecting planes 3-3 to either side of the same. The driv- 1932, Serial No. 636,666

ing motor 5 may be enclosed within said body, and rigidly secured thereto in some suitable man her, as by the rivets shown.

Adjacent the forward portion of the fuselage are a pair of downwardly extending arms or struts 6-6, having openings through the lower ends thereof to permit of mounting upon the forward wheels, as will be hereinafter set forth. A tie-bar 7 may be interposed between the pair of struts 66 to strengthen the same against lateral move- 6 ment relatively of each other.

An axle 8, having the threaded ends 9-9, is inserted through the openings in the lower ends of the struts 6-6, and a pair of wheels 10-10 are adjustably received onto the threaded ends of said axle, said pair of wheels rolling upon the rails 11, and supporting the airplane body above said tracks.

Lock nuts 11 may be used for locking the wheels at the desired spacing apart. Obviously, this 7 manner of adjustment permits of perfect alignment of the wheels with differently gauged tracks, as the spacing between the wheels is quickly and easily changeable at will for the various adjustments.

At the rear of the body is arranged a third wheel element, as the roller 12 rotatably mounted in a horizontal axis, and in alignment and engagement with the third rail 2, the carrier for the roller being insulated from the body as by the washer 13, and mounted for rotation about a vertical axis at 14. This mounting of the rear element permits the same to more closely follow the various curvatures along the length of the l, track 2, and with a minimum of friction thereat.

A drive motor, such as the one hereinbefore mentioned as 5, is electrically connected to the front and rear wheel elements, the front wheels being preferably grounded, electrically, to the body or fuselage, and whereby the wiring will v not be exposed. All of the wiring is concealed within the body of the toy, and hence can not easily be tampered with by the children who operate the device.

A shaft 15 is driven by the motor 5, and adjacent its lower end carries a gear 16, meshing with a gear 17 on the axle 8, so as to drive the latter when the motor is energized, thus causing movement of the toy along the track. H

A propeller 18 is arranged at the forward end of the airplane body, at the threaded end of a shafts 19 projected therethrough, the inner end of said shaft having a gear 20 thereon meshing with a gear 21 driven from the motor 5, said 1110,

shafts 15 and 19 being at right angles to one another. A bearing 22 may be positioned within the body of the airplane, and through which the shaft 19 is received.

Thus, when the motor is energized by the three wheel elements engaging the three rails, the propeller will be rotatably driven, and in unison therewith the front wheels will be similarly driven, thereby propelling the toy airplane along the track, and closely simulating the appearance of the fu1l-sized airplane taxiing across a field.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction, and combination of parts herein shown and described, or the uses mentioned, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, and the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a toy airplane adapted to be movable along a three-rail electric track, a motor within said airplane, a pair of front wheels grounded to said airplane and supporting it on a pair of said tracks, a rear Wheel insulated from said airplane and engaging said third track and rotatably connected to pivot in a vertical axis, all of said wheels electrically connected to said motor, and means between said motor and propeller to drive the latter.

JOHN W. SCHMERMUND. 

